Enviropods

Looking for a FREE day camp for your curious kid this summer in Hopkinsville, Frankfort, or Hazard? Sign them up for Enviropods!

Kentucky is at risk for earth, environmental, and weather hazards. Join faculty and students from University of Kentucky for this three-day camp to learn about how earth and environmental scientists research hazards in our state like flooding, landslides, tornadoes, earthquakes, drought, and water quality concerns. 
 
Students will get hands-on experience with the methods and data we use to help try to predict these costly and dangerous threats. Using modern technologies like drones, virtual reality, and GIS, we aim to better understand how scientists and engineers work on natural hazards before and after they happen to help keep Kentuckians safe. Each camp will be tailored to regional concerns so that students can leave the week ready to help their families and community prepare for and respond to natural hazards while also meeting Kentucky state science standards.
 
Lunch and snacks will be provided each day. Registration is limited to 20 students per pod.
 


Eligibility: Kentucky residents who will be starting 7th, 8th, or 9th grade this fall are eligible for participation. If you have specific questions about the program and eligibility, reach out to us at enviropods@uky.edu
 

2025 Dates:

June 24th-26th - Hopkinsville-Christian County Public Library 10 AM to 5 PM 

July 15th-17th - Paul Sawyier Public Library in Frankfort 10 AM to 5 PM 

July 29th-31st - Perry County Public Library in Hazard 10 AM to 5 PM (Open spots remaining! Register here)

Depending on library operating hours, earlier drop off may be an option. Please arrange this with us in advance so we can plan to be ready a little earlier.
 


Registration: Ready to register your student? We're excited to have them in the program! Register here.

Thanks to funding from the KY NSF EPSCoR CLIMBS project, this camp is free for eligible students. 
 

Meet Our Team: 2025 pods will be run by Enviropods Director Summer Brown and three EES students: Jillian Cavellier (grad), JT Gribbins (undergrad), and Mamie Clark (undergrad)

Three earth science students smiling at the camera

Want to keep up with our adventures this summer? Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. 

 

Frequently Asked Questions: 

Q: My child has a specific dietary requirement or allergy, who should I contact?
A: Please reach out to us at enviropods@uky.edu

Q: What should my child bring with them to camp each day?
A: We recommend a refillable water bottle and an umbrella. The umbrella will be useful for both rain or sun. We don't spend a lot of time outside because of the heat, but we have 10-15 minute outdoor activities spaced throughout the camp, 1-2 a day.

Q: Does my child have to be located a certain distance from the host library to register?
A: Nope! They only have to be a Kentucky resident. Past that, if you're willing to drive them, we're happy to have them!

Q: Can you provide a detailed schedule of each day's activities?
A: While you'll be emailed a general schedule, we don't create a hour-by-hour schedule or anything like that simply because many of our activities rely on clear weather. Each of our activities is designed to occupy a 30 minute to 1 hour block of time and we often shuffle those within the three days based on the weather. If you'd like, we can send you an example schedule from a previous camp, but keep in mind this likely won't be the same exact schedule that we follow.

Q: What time can I pick up my child at the end of each day?
A: We plan to finish at 5 PM, so while you're welcome to arrive a little earlier, we may not be finished yet.

Q: Can I pick my child up early on one of the days?
A: We ask that you try to avoid planning anything that overlaps with camp programming, if possible, only because many of our activities and challenges involve students working in small groups. If one person leaves, the other is left to finish alone and the person who left may miss the final unveiling or testing. If your child does need to leave early on a specific day, please let us know in advance so we can plan group work accordingly. 

Q: My child has a bit of anxiety around natural hazards, especially after our community experienced a natural disaster. Would this program be okay for them?
A: This is actually one of the reasons we designed this program. As former weather-anxious kids, we saw flooding, tornadoes, and landslides happening in Kentucky and knew that kids were becoming more anxious, especially when they don't know WHY hazards occur. Someone in our lives took the time to "call in the experts" to explain to us what was happening and that made a big difference; we're ready to pay it forward! These hazards occur under certain conditions and by helping kids understand those conditions AND talk through preparing for when these hazards do occur, we hope to help alleviate some of their concerns. We do however, understand that some kids (and adults!) still get anxious, like when it rains nonstop or when they hear about forecasted severe storms. We enlisted the help of an art therapist at UK to help us develop an activity for the end of each camp where we teach kids some coping skills they can use when they get anxious about earth and weather hazards. We also stress the importance of community and giving and receiving help after a disaster. After the camp, we encourage you to talk with your child about what they've learned so that you can remind them of these strategies when they do experience times of anxiety around natural hazards.